John mcwilliams



(ModeL) I J. MOWILLIAMS.

CAN OPENER-.

Patented July 3, 1883.

LNVENTOR BY WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES -ATENT OFFICE.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,495, dated July 3, 1883.

Application filed May 16, 1883. (ModeL) T at whom it may cmccern:

' New Lebanon, in the county of Columbia and of the same.

State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Gan-Opener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved can-opener which can cut on a straight or curved line.

The invention consists in a can opener formed of two levers pivoted to each other, of which levers one is provided with a blade at its lower end, and the other has a plate piv-- oted to its lower end, which plate is provided with a flange adapted to rest upon the surface being cut, the plate thus serving as a guide and traveling fulcrum for the cutting-blade.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of my improved can-opener. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation of the same, showing it inclined. Fig. 3 is an edge elevation of the lower part Fig. 4- is a longitudinal eleva tion of the inner side of the blade. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pivoted guide.

Two levers, A, provided at the upper ends with handle-loops B, are pivoted to each other by a pivot, A, in the same manner as the blades of .a pair of scissors are pivoted, and to the inner surface of one lever a pointed blade, 0, is riveted, which blade can be made integral with the lever, instead of being riveted thereto. The other lever A is provided with a recess, D, in the inner side or surface, at the lowerend, and to the lower end of the said lever a plate, E, is pivoted, of the same thickness as the depth of the recess D, which plate is provided at its lower edge with an outwardlyprojecting flange, F, which is at right angles to the plate, the plate and flange forming a right-angled sharp edge. One end of the, flange F projects beyond the end of the plate,

as shown. WVhen the can-opener is not in use, the flange is folded against the edge of the lever, the plate E filling the recess D, and the surface of the plate E beingflush with the inner side of the lever, so as not to interfere with the operating of the device. The lower edge of the plate E is to rest closely against the adjoining surface of the blade 0, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation is as follows: The plate E is swung down, so that it will be about at right angles to the lever to which it is pivoted, and the point of the blade 0 is forced through the can-cover until the flange rests upon the said cover. If the upper ends of the levers are forced down in the direction of the arrow to, the blade 0 will be swung upward in the direction of the arrow b and will cut through the cover. The levers are then moved in the inverse direction of the arrow a and moved forward, and are then again pressed down in the direction of the arrow a, and so on. If desired, the levers can be operated in the same manner as the blades of a pair of scissors, the blade 0 cutting when the upper ends-of the levers are pressed together, and the plate E being moved forward whenthe upper ends of the levers are separated. The blade 0 outs against the right-angled edge of the flanged plate E. The flanged plate forms a guide and a movable fulcrum for the cutting-blade.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A can-opener consisting of two O1OSS-1)lV oted levers carrying, respectively, the blade 0 and plate E, the latter being pivoted in a recess, D, and provided with a right-angled sharp-edged flange, F, projecting beyond it, as shown and described.

JOHN MOXVILLIAMS. W'itnesses:

H. S. W'ALcorr, CHARLES R. J UDEVINE. 

